Silvestri Making the Raptors Look Dysfunctional to Rival NBA Executive?

Silvestri has an old friend with close-up knowledge of Colangelo’s managerial acumen. Silvestri grew up in the same Brampton neighbourhood as Marc Eversley, Colangelo’s hand-picked assistant general manager.

Could it be that an otherwise dreary 22-win season has been the setting for a double-cross worthy of the bloodiest Shakespearean tragedy? Could Eversley be engineering a backstabbing coup?

The answer, multiple NBA sources will tell you, is a resounding no. Eversley, 41, has carved out a reputation as a hard-working Colangelo loyalist who one day hopes to climb higher in the NBA ranks, but it’s well understood around the franchise that he currently wouldn’t be in line to succeed Colangelo as GM. In a league in which relationships are currency, crossing Colangelo, an NBA lifer whose father, Jerry, is one of the game’s most influential and respected power brokers, would amount to self-induced career bankruptcy.

To the contrary, sources say Eversley, who declined to comment, has made good-faith attempts to sell Colangelo’s rebuilding plan on Silvestri, who is said by sources to have voiced disdain for both Bryan Colangelo’s record and his nepotistic advantages. And Eversley isn’t the GM’s only in-house supporter. Larry Tanenbaum, the club’s minority owner and chairman, is a Colangelo fan. Richard Peddie, the CEO, has voiced affirmation for Colangelo’s rebuilding efforts. Still, Silvestri and Teachers’ hold sway at 40 Bay St., and so the regular season will end Wednesday night with many of the club’s key suits staring at foggy futures.

Colangelo, who refused comment on his contractual status, is proceeding the only way he can: As though he’ll be around beyond this season, even though he can’t say he will be.

“Looks dysfunctional,” is the way one rival NBA executive assessed Toronto’s current state of affairs.

“Cruel,” is how another NBA source termed it. Indeed, with the possibility of a lockout looming this summer, this figures to be a difficult off-season for out-of-work executives and coaches and scouts.

The future of the basketball leadership is far from the only unknown, of course. Peddie has announced his plans to retire at 2011’s end. And Teachers’ announced last month that it had retained a firm to round up potential buyers for its 66 per cent stake in Canada’s biggest sporting empire, which counts among its riches the Raptors, the Maple Leafs and the Air Canada Centre. While one understands the urge not to saddle a theoretical new ownership group with a newly re-signed hoops honcho, the sale is in its early throes and unlikely to be resolved imminently.

There are solid arguments for and against keeping Colangelo, and there’s something to be said for the fact that, with the NBA playoff tournament set to begin without a Canadian entrant for the third straight spring, the GM’s extension hasn’t been promptly rubber-stamped by an ownership group with a reputation for not paying enough attention to its sporting products. Still, if the pension plan was seriously considering cutting loose the GM, it should have begun seeking his replacement long ago. Sources say there is no such search in progress. And considering a critical draft looms in little more than two months, there’s a common-sense escape to the current morass.

Offering Colangelo a short-term extension — say, a two-year deal that’s only partially guaranteed — would be a logical course. In some ways it would be a humbling dose of reality for Colangelo to digest; it would be a prove-it-to-us contract for an NBA GM with two decades of experience who has twice been named the league’s executive of the year. But given the swirling circumstance, it’s hard to imagine Colangelo not agreeing to something of its sort. It wouldn’t hurt that Colangelo’s acceptance of such an agreement would surely come with a knowing handshake from Tanenbaum; a better deal could be in Colangelo’s near-term future, in other words, should the chairman, who holds first right of refusal on the Teachers’ shares, emerge from the pending sale tossing around more weight than his current 20.5 per cent stake allows.

It’s a workable solution that would hardly scare off a possible buyer of a billion-dollar-plus enterprise. And just as important, considering what we know about the clash of formidable egos and intellects that’s been taking place behind the scenes, it’s an endgame that would allow Silvestri to say without embellishment that he once threw some well-placed elbows in the cutthroat trenches of pro basketball, and that he made his impact felt.

Glen Silvestri leads the fund’s private equity transactions in the telecom, media, technology and energy services sectors. He joined Teachers’ in 2001 with a background in M&A and finance.

Glen has been involved in many significant transactions, including the formation of MidOcean Partners through a management buyout of Deutsche Bank’s private equity portfolio, and the acquisitions of Ames True Temper, CFM Corporation, Doane Pet Care Company and SonicWALL. Glen currently sits on the boards of MLSE and CTVglobemedia and Big Brothers and Sisters of Toronto.

A Chartered Accountant, Glen earned a BA from the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D)

Accountability and no more smoke and mirrors. If BC can't provide a proper plan and vision and continues to live off his previous rep there is no need to resign him. The dysfunction in the organization started with BC to begin with.

Because it's wise to fire somebody and bring in someone with less ability and connections. That makes sense. Maybe they can bring back Babcock.

He wouldn't be fired, his contract is up this summer.

How would you gauge less ability? If they hired J. West would that be a GM that has more ability? If they brought in a no name guy like Presti but he ended up getting results when all is said and done I don't think anyopne would have a problem with it. My point is that you can't always gauge ability immediately and how far has BC's connections gotten him the past 3 years?

No one said bring back Babcock but I'm tired of the argument to keep Colangelo based on his percevied abilities and connections. I'm sure many in Portland thought Pritchard couldn't be replaced but Cho has come in and they haven't missed a beat. Should we never hire another GM with not a lot of experience based on Babcock. Things work out and sometimes they don't and if you are a fan of BC that should be well known. This league is what have you done for me lately, not what you did for me 5 years ago. It's results oriented not living off your past rep or so called connections.

I just think the Raps would be well served to go in a different direction and the timing is right for it.

How would you gauge less ability? If they hired J. West would that be a GM that has more ability? If they brought in a no name guy like Presti but he ended up getting results when all is said and done I don't think anyopne would have a problem with it. My point is that you can't always gauge ability immediately and how far has BC's connections gotten him the past 3 years?

Some quick points:

Fired, not re-signed, who cares, same outcome.

West? Let's get real here. First, how old is he again? Second, has he expressed interest in making a fresh start anywhere? The Raptors are still in the beginning stages of a rebuild. Do you really think someone of his age would be willing to take on such a long term project? He's man of integrity and if he can't see it through to the end I don't think he takes the job. Considering the fact that Colangelo is the one and only established GM to ever come here should tell you a lot about how difficult it is to find people like that. What you're looking at if Colangelo is cut loose in my opinion is Gheridini taking over OR some other guy who never had a lead role before. If you're prepared for another guy who will learn on the job in Toronto at a most critical juncture then please sell me on the idea with the same points that convinced you because I'm not feeling that at all.

And Pritchard wasn't canned due to performance. It wasn't brave of the Blazers to let him go. You go piss in your boss' cornflakes a half dozen times and see if you get an outcome different than Pritchard got.

this screams politics, my stupid opinion is that jay triano is calling in help from his Canadian boys upstairs in the organization. He has been here since lenny wilkens he is not walking away without a fight. There no reason jay should be back, there no reason why anyone should respect silvestri opinion if the the extent of his basketball is coming out of leger LOL!!!

quite honestly jay is not a good coach and there shouldn't even be a question of wether he is here next year or not the fans don't think he should be here yet the media is questioning it? but I can bet money on it that jay comes with the package of the toronto raptors and BC knew that coming in and the only way he could get rid of him was to move him to head coach.

I maybe wrong but I don't think I am far off cause what business does this accountant have putting his opinion in on anything he knows nothing about.

How is Silvestri a douchebag? lol. In your place of work Joey, do you get rewarded for bad performance? If yes, I don't need to talk any further (Hint - you are a workplace darling, that creates a toxic working environment ). If no, why should BC with his terrible team record, failed signings, no regards for defense and the Bargs pampering (all benchmarks of a GM's performance) get a two year extension (when he could have been fired already if he was with a United States NBA team lol) let alone the 5 year extension he wants at thesame salary? ***. What is Toronto sport fan's problem with enduring pain? (Evidence - the Maple Laffs soldout games and now pinning for an inept and underachieving GM to get a long term extension at thesame salary ***. As if that were not painful enough, Toronto sport fans wasted the Toronto Blue Jays' prime years with another used car salesman in the BC mold - JP Ricciardi lol. Hmm, I am starting to think that Toronto sport fans are masochists at heart .).

No wonder all MLSE franchises are a joke. Their Teachers-driven management structure makes it possible for a short, balding accountant to hold up the re-hiring of Colangelo or the hiring of his replacement.

What makes it worse is that Sylvestri doesn't have the balls to do an interview with Feschuk. Instead he continues to hide behind the Teachers' apron. Disgusting little prick.

How is Silvestri a douchebag? lol. In your place of work Joey, do you get rewarded for bad performance? If yes, I don't need to talk any further (Hint - you are a workplace darling, that creates a toxic working environment ). If no, why should BC with his terrible team record, failed signings, no regards for defense and the Bargs pampering (all benchmarks of a GM's performance) get a two year extension (when he could have been fired already if he was with a United States NBA team lol) let alone the 5 year extension he wants at thesame salary? ***. What is Toronto sport fan's problem with enduring pain? (Evidence - the Maple Laffs soldout games and now pinning for an inept and underachieving GM to get a long term extension at thesame salary ***. As if that were not painful enough, Toronto sport fans wasted the Toronto Blue Jays' prime years with another used car salesman in the BC mold - JP Ricciardi lol. Hmm, I am starting to think that Toronto sport fans are masochists at heart .).

Colangelo isn't a "worker", he's the president of a corporate entity and I can say with certainty that successful corporations don't let competent presidents go without having someone better lined up to take over. Hell, they wouldn't let an incompetent one go either if they don't have someone else lined up who is better. MLSE has no one lined up and probably no plan. I say this because everyone on the board besides Silvestri is on board with bringing Colangelo back.

because everyone on the board besides Silvestri is on board with bringing Colangelo back.

This is exactly my point.
OTPP is looking to sell their Portion of shares. Why should they then be the ones to hold the decision making process hostage.
And not even all of OTPP. Just the Accountant.

Brain Colangelo wrote:

hire pritchard

I'm not so sure he is any better than Colangelo. He's made just as many (if not far more) questionable decisions. I've pointed them out in threads past, and don't really feel like looking up exactly which ones. But they are there, and they are numerous none the less.

Colangelo isn't a "worker", he's the president of a corporate entity and I can say with certainty that successful corporations don't let competent presidents go without having someone better lined up to take over. Hell, they wouldn't let an incompetent one go either if they don't have someone else lined up who is better. MLSE has no one lined up and probably no plan. I say this because everyone on the board besides Silvestri is on board with bringing Colangelo back.

I am not saying BC is a worker but we know BC is literally a worker answerable to his superiors in the CEO and Board of Directors of MLSE. Imo, there is only one way to measure a GM's success - team overall record. If that can not be used as a benchmark during a rebuild, these questions need to be asked imo:-
1. Does the team have a respectable coach who emphasizes the right way of playing basketball a la Lawrence Frank, Scott Skiles, Nate Mcmillan, Jerry Sloan, Jeff Van Gundy, Vinny Del Negro etc ( especially on the defensive side of the court) to the
basketball players on the team. Is accountability being enforced by the coach?
2. Are there prospective superstars or even All-stars on the team?
3. Are there tradeable assets and multiple draft picks (basically reset buttons in a rebuild) owned by the team?
4. Is there a lot of redundancy on the team roster?

Asking all those questions above evaluating BC and Triano's tenure here leaves a lot to be desired - which is why I am pinning for them to go (plus the rest of the staff, no person in management, coaching staff and players is untouchable on a 60 loss team - basically heads must roll. My 2 cents) before the team stops being a laughing tock of the league. The franchise clearly needs cleansing from top to bottom before it becomes a respectable organization and no sugar coating can mask that (that free agents want to play for) - I don't know if that is too much to ask for (however, some replies to my quote clearly shows a lot of Toronto sports fans are risk averse (hey, we don't want another Rob Babcock. Life is about risks guys - some work, some don't. My 2 cents) and are masochists at heart (hey, look at the Maple Laffs sold out games and pinning for a 5 year extension for used car salesman with horrible team record in BC)). "Nuff said.